Duterte calls Canada ‘stupid’ for saying choppers shouldn’t be used vs. Filipinos

President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday slammed Canada for supposedly setting the condition that the helicopters it was going to sell to the Philippines should not be used against Filipinos.

In a speech before the Filipino community in South Korea during his three-day official visit to the country, Duterte said that Canada urged the Philippine government not to use the helicopters against Filipino citizens.

"Magbili tayo ng mga helicopter para sa... originally meron na tayo, nag-order tayo ng Bell sa Canada. Sabi nila mag-deliver kami ng Bell helicopters pero you cannot use it against your own citizens. So anong gamitan ko niyan? Para evacuation, mga wounded, air-ambulance... sabi ko look, and Canada is listening, my citizens are joining the New People's Army and they are fighting the government and killing my soldiers and my policemen. It is a dirty war and people are dying. 'Yung iba naman ang mga kapatid kong Moro lumipat doon sa terorista," Duterte said.

"How stupid can you? Bakit mo sabihin na I cannot use it against my own citizens when there are citizens in my country trying to overthrow my government?" he added.

The Chief Executive further said he might just acquire helicopters from South Korea.

"Dito na lang siguro ako maghanap sa Korea," Duterte said.

In February, the Canadian government ordered a review of a $233-million deal to sell 16 helicopters to the Philippines following concerns that the choppers would be used to fight rebels.

The Philippines later scrapped the deal.

According to Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, the agreement had been struck in 2012 on the understanding that the helicopters would be used for search-and-rescue operations.

The Bell 412EPI helicopters had been due be delivered early next year. — Anna Felicia Bajo/BM, GMA News